LONDON — New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum hopes a change of format and the introduction of several new players will revive his side from the depths of a Test whitewash when it faces England in a three-match one-day series starting at Lord's Friday. For both teams, this series will serve as a warm-up for next month's ICC Champions Trophy tournament in England and Wales. McCullum would also like it to act as a pick-me-up for a squad that suffered a 247-run hammering by England in the second and final Test at Headingley Tuesday. Friday's match will see New Zealand return to Lord's where it lost the first Test by the comparatively modest, yet still huge, margin of 170 runs after collapsing to 68 all out in its second innings. It will take the field without left-arm seamer Trent Boult, a star performer when New Zealand faced England at home earlier this year and who also impressed in England before aggravating a side strain at Headingley that left him doubtful for the Champions Trophy. Ian Butler steps in in Boult's place. However, the inclusion of eight new players for the ODIs with England should bolster the Kiwis, who lost the corresponding three-match one-day series in New Zealand 2-1 after winning an ODI series in South Africa for the first time in January. “We've got eight new guys coming into the fold for the ODI series and Champions Trophy and they're quite experienced, some of those guys,” said McCullum. “One thing we have been able to do in recent times is move between the forms of the game and refocus too. That's what this (situation) is going to require on a very short turnaround.” Former captain Daniel Vettori, who ruled himself unfit to play at Headingley because of concerns over an Achilles injury, James Franklin, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills and Grant Elliott will all add experience. Mitchell McClenaghan is an aggressive fast bowler and Colin Munro, when in form, a hard-hitting middle-order batsman. Meanwhile, Luke Ronchi is set to make his debut as an opener after four years qualifying since playing four ODIs and three T20s for Australia. England will now be under the guidance of one-day coach Ashley Giles as team director Andy Flower takes a break to plot the defense of the Ashes against Australia ahead of the latest edition of Test cricket's oldest rivalry, which resumes at Nottingham's Trent Bridge ground in July. — Agencies
